From Wiki (psychology)- A mood is a relatively lasting affective state. Moods differ from emotions in that they are less specific, often less intense, less likely to be triggered by a particular stimulus or event, however longer lasting. Moods generally have positive or negative valence. In other words, people often speak of being in a good or bad mood. Mood differs from temperament or personality traits which are more general and long lasting. However, personality traits tend to predispose certain types of moods. Mood is an internal, subjective state, but can often be inferred from posture and other behaviors.
This doesn't describe me very well when it comes to moods. For instance:
My moods aren't a relatively lasting affective state if they are bad. My bad moods usually don't last more than a couple hours.
Second, my moods are more specific and more likely to be triggered by a particular stimulus or event.
How can moods last longer than "emotion"?
My good moods will always last longer than bad moods. They say moods can last a few days, but I've found that a "bad" mood for several days is more than a mood.
There are those times I don't have any idea why I'm in a bad mood, but they are short lived also.
I don't have very many bad moods, but upon seeing me, many people think I am. This is part of my personality. I look like I'm in a bad mood, but am really not. My wife still makes this mistake.
Speaking of my wife, she is never in a bad mood. She can be tired and seem like it or stressed and seem like it, but the only time I've seen her definitely in a bad mood, for the mood's sake, is when she's sick.
For me, a bad mood is generally caused by something that happened and gotten over easily. A good mood is longer lasting and most of the time I usually don't know why it happened.
How do you describe your good and bad moods?
Are you a moody person?
Do you know why both moods happen?
beyondtheveil posted on Feb 12, 2008
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Comments
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uniquely-ironic said on Feb 12, 2008....
I think I'm probably moody. My bad moods are very typical of depression, where despite being in a bad mood it's not directed outside of myself. My good moods are more subtle. I have an underlying happiness for no apparent reason. I would guess that moods happen in responce to both general environment and reaction to outside (i.e. people or events) influences. I wish I was less moody. -
Twylarants said on Feb 12, 2008....
You already described me when you described your moods, Beyond.
I was surprised as I read to see that we're so much alike. I'm often asked if I'm in a bad mood...no, it's just my face. On occasion, I'll wake up in a bad-ish mood, for no reason I can think of, but it doesn't last long.
I'll worry about things, events might bother me, people sometimes annoy me...but I don't get in a bad mood because of these things. I'm just not a moody person.
Actually, about the only thing that will affect my mood is others' moodiness. I don't like to be around moody people.
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destinydiva said on Feb 12, 2008....
hiya beyond :-) my moods change rapidly!! I am usually hyper and exciteable... but then something kicks in (often the begining of a migraine...or just simply stress or two minutes of my ex ranting.. ) and my mood can totally go the other way and I am grumpy and stroppy or sad!!
moods are masivly hormonal and my hormones are here there and everywhere!! as my moods can be :-) xx
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beyondtheveil said on Feb 12, 2008....
unique- I have bad times that are typical of depression, because I have depression, but I can tell the difference between it and just a bad mood. My depressed times are not directed out either. We are similar in not knowing why happy moods happen.
twyla- We do sound alike, don't we? Other people's moods affect me also, I just try to distance myself. I think its usually best they are alone in that condition and let it pass.
des- You know what? I think what you described shows in your posts. Don't you?
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rupert7 said on Feb 12, 2008....
My moods range from black despair to irrational enthusiasm ! It changes in the twinkling of an eye. I am on medication for it and that helps most of the time. It is largely caused by the M.S. Most people understand and tolerate this. Now and then someone will come along who is less tolerant,maybe even think they know it all,while really knowing little or nothing. These ones are few and far between but are quick to pass judgement which is always correct in their eyes. These ones are upsetting when they crop up! I try to control it,but sometimes easier said than done! -
rupert7 said on Feb 12, 2008....
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secretlife said on Feb 12, 2008....
i'm a pretty even keeled person beyond.most days i wake up in a go-gett 'em mood.i'm the type of person who might be in a bad mood because of an event or events, and it might even last a few days, but i seem to find my way out of it.i'm not what anyone would describe as moody. -
CreativeWoman said on Feb 12, 2008....
Most of my bad moods of late have come from frustration. With them comes a bit irritability. I don't like when I get that way.
I don't think I would be described as moody.
CW
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Lioness said on Feb 12, 2008....
Hi beyond. I was told to be a moody person. Sometimes, when I had a bad mood because of a particular event, this mood is carried all throughout the day especially if I deal with people I am not supposed to deal with. But I am only like this with people who are familiar to me, like my family or officemates.
In different settings, I could smile even if I don't feel like it. :D
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moonriver said on Feb 12, 2008....
there are certain periods of the year (days in a month? periodicity yet unknown... :-) when my moods tend to swing unpredictably from hour to hour. i try not to let on to anyone, though, except to the one or two people closest to me.
but definitely, for longer stretches of time, i'm mr. smiling cool and collected inside and out. no doubt about that. it's a survival mechanism i've learned years ago... :-)
so you could probably say that my moody times are themselves moody. does that make sense? lol
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evil_twin said on Feb 13, 2008....
My moods are definitely unpredictable and all over the place. I'm generally pretty happy, but even the slightest upset or setback really sends me down in the dumps. Fast. Sometimes a bad mood will last for a long time, and other times I snap out of it pretty quickly.
Occasionally I'm in a bad mood for no particular reason. It's just like the world is off kilter or something and I feel crappy. Those are the worst times because it's hard to break a bad mood when you're not sure why it's there in the first place.
Happy moods are something I don't really tend to question. I don't always know why I'm feeling so good, but who cares why! I just enjoy it while it lasts :-)
-evil_twin LA
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wombat said on Feb 13, 2008....
You're now talking to the champion of mood swings--but I am doing much better than I was say-10 years ago. Now it is more like a week or two of being fine, then a day or so of mild depression. Yea--that's not good, either. But the jump back and forth is not as high or as deep as it used to be. It doesn't take much to set off the lows---and climbing back out gets easier with time--but still tiresome. -
beyondtheveil said on Feb 13, 2008....
rupert- I think we all know a few know-it-alls. Its too bad there are people who will not understand. I'm curious if those two moods last a long time or jump back and forth quickly when the med's not working.
secret- I'm fairly even keel also, but with me, if bad moods last a few days there is usually something else going on.
CW- I think frustration is a large cause of mood swing in a lot of people. Its one of those things or events that can trigger a mood swing in me very easily.
lioness- I don't understand what you mean by being told to be a moody person. Do you mean because you smile even when you don't feel like it? I've been doing that at times all my life. Its difficult sometimes.
moon- Could those "certain periods" be dates you don't like remembering and perhaps holidays? Or is it something that happens periodically for no reason? I could see it with both. I know there are a few things I have done (stupid things) that can swing my mood.
ET- Me too. Most of my moods I don't know why they happen, bad or good. But because I don't know why, the bad ones will mostly last a short time and like you I just let the good ones flow. I do know that Christmas season and the coming of Spring can give me the longest lasting good moods.
wombat- I've had the depressed times for about as long as I can remember. I hesitate to call these mood swings though, at least with me. This is included with those long "bad moods" in which something else is at work other than just a bad mood. It doesn't take much to set off a low with me either, but I've learned not to show it. And you are right, these are very tiresome.
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destinydiva said on Feb 13, 2008....
beyond~ your totally right!! :-) I view this place as somewhere where I can have absolute freedom to be myself, my moods included :-) xx -
beyondtheveil said on Feb 13, 2008....
des- You are totally right (if I may quote you). There are many others who do the same. But I'm not sure I could get away with it- maybe its a man thing.
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Lioness said on Feb 13, 2008....
Beyond, it means I don't really acknowledge that I am moody. Sometimes, I try to set a borderline between how I feel at home or at work, especially if I have a crappy day. Unknowingly, I still mix this up with people I associate with, and so the way they react to what I am saying is different from the way I expect them to react. Then the comment: "you're really moody".
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silverwhisper said on Feb 16, 2008....
as a rule, my mood is generally positive, b/c in general i tend to be a pretty happy guy--unless i'm sweating it out, designing a database and wrestling with VBA! :D
i do sometimes become quiet and introspective: that happens now and again, and i retreat into myself a little until the mrs coaxes me back out again. and of course, sometimes a truly foul mood will strike me, usually work-related in all honesty, although that tends to be short-lived.
it generally takes something quite extraordinary to provoke a different mood from that. usually, that means politics. :>
ed -
beyondtheveil said on Feb 16, 2008....
lioness- Thanks. You always answer my questions.
Ed- I've noticed from your posts that the database seems to have affected your mood swings. At least the last one was a good mood- Eu-friggin'-reka usually is.
I have many quiet and introspective times- but those are invariably good moods.
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rupert7 said on Feb 17, 2008....
beyond - I take my meds regularly,never miss - Jenny makes sure of that..lol The mood swings can be instantaneous, I can be "happy as Larry," then all or a sudden,for no apparent reason, I can become deeply depressed and pessimistic. The meds do work in that I was like it all the time before I was on them but now it is much less frequent.
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